Antenna Advice

[rob42]

For my Uniden UBC125XLTC...

Any advice please, about an Antenna upgrade. I have seen three that seem to offer "enhanced reception".

1) The WATSON W-801 Regular Gainer Scanner Antenna BNC Fit.

2) The RR-881 Super Gainer Radio Scanner Antenna

3) The Skyscan Mobile Desktop All Round Radio Scanner antenna

Or maybe none of the above?

If you have any advice, tip or experience with these, please post back. I'm, assuming here that if you have advice, you'll not need any links to those items, rather, you'll know what they are, but if needs be, I'll post said links; just ask.

With thanks.

[Octane Red]

As one of your options is an antenna off the scanner (the desktop one), I'll assume you are open to the idea of a non-portable antenna. If your main use is at home, then if you can, an antenna outside will be the best you can do. The signal levels outside will be so much better than inside. Similarly, if your main use if from a vehicle, then an antenna on the vehicle will far outperform a 'rubber duck' on the scanner.

For portable use, an antenna on the scanner is always going to be a compromise, and claims of 25 - 1900 MHz are just pipedreams. Sure, they will sort of work as an antenna, but will generally be bad at everything.

If you have specific frequencies of interest, try and go for a tuned (ish) antenna for those. Even a metal telescopic antenna has the potential to be better for higher frequencies as you can telescope the antenna to a length appropriate for the frequency. But I appreciate you are not likely going to find BNC connected antennae with very specific frequencies other than perhaps amatuer, marine and airband.

But if you can get an antenna outside, and up high, that will be the best you can do.

[rob42]

Thank you for the reply and insight.

Right now, it's general interest, and as such I've no specific frequencies in mind, but yes; outside is the way to go, that I'm sure of. As for height, well I'll think on about that and how best to do it. It could very well be that I have some kind of a temporary setup, whereby I open my loft skylight and poke the twig out though that, rather than go to the expense of having an installation.

I'm leaning toward the Skyscan Mobile 25-2000MHz Magnetic Scanner Antenna (MK3) (AKA: Moonraker Skyscan...) as it will give me the flexibility of taking it out with me and using it atop my car, while parked up on some hill top, as well as being able to use it at home. One of the reasons behind getting a hand-held, rather than a Base Station, also speaks to that flexibility. In fact, the more I think about it, the less inclined I am to get option 1 or 2 and your comments have helped with that thought process.

I had not thought about the telescopic antenna option, and you make a very good argument for getting one "...you can telescope the antenna to a length appropriate for the frequency."; nice comment.

Once again, thank you for your insight, as well as taking the time to reply.

Be safe.